Nebraska Judge Rules Medicaid Must Cover ABA For Child Beneficiaries

On June 30, 2015, Lancaster County District Judge John Colborn ruled that the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must pay for autism services and other any treatments deemed medically necessary for Medicaid-eligible children in the state, citing that the previous policy conflicts with federal law. The ruling mandates that Nebraska Medicaid is required to cover Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for any Medicaid-eligible child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The ruling was based on the fact that the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program mandate requires the state to provide Medicaid . . .